Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-10-06
Railroads as Ciyilizers.

From the New York Times.
The construction OF thousands OF miles OF rail-
road in Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee for
which surveys have been made and nnapclal sup
port has been obtained, Will cause great mineral
deposits TO be utilized and the same time grad
ually civilize region thus far given over TO out
laws OF the T0lliyer type. The Eagfneering Nrus
recently published a map showing the railroads
which were In use in the United States at the end
OF the calendar year 1885 and the roads made In
the year 1856. glance at This map shows that
the Lew lines We're for the most part built i'm the
region lying between the 18th and l0Oi n NERD
ans, where the closely woven network OF roads
covering the region north OF the Ohio River has
been extended In Kansas, Nebraska, and
devoid OF railroads lying between West
ern Pennsylvania and Northern Georgia
population, and the mountain ranges In II preclude
the construction OF such a railway cobweb as ex-
lists In the region between Pittsburg and Topeka;
but nevertheless the roads the slopes and
piateaus and through the gaps are TO be multi
piled in the next ten years. Our dispatches from
Knoxville contained few weeks ago a list OF pro-
jected roads in Eastern Tennessee and adjoining
districts either under survey or under contract
embracing more than 1900 miles OF track. I'm
portant extensions have been planned or are al
ready in process OF construction In Eastern Ken
lucky. The timber and the mineral treasures OF
the mountain region have attracted the Capital
which is 20 be expended In this work. and the
cities freely contributing their money for the
support OF the companies.
BY no meaEs the least important result OF the
building OF roads in this neglected region Will be
the enlightenment OF Its Inhabitants. There are
at least nifty counties In Kentucky and Tennessee
that not reached by railroads telegraph wires
Not all OF these counties have gained the unenvia-
bic nOtoriety OF Rowan and Bell Counties In Ken
lucky, but many or them closely resemble those
counties in respect TO the customs and ways OF
their people. Two years ago the first church
buildings were erected in Rowan. Breathitt and
Martin Counties, Ky. The Chesapeake and
Ohio road passes through Rowan, but there are
no railways IN Breathitt Martin. The new
roads viii serve "a missionaries To trans
form gradually, but surely, the charac-
ter OF the secluded villages and put end TO the
feudS and vendettaS In which the energies OF the
Isolated people have been expended. Their little
world on the highlands and mountain slopes Will
soon learn something about the great world that
surrounds II, and the Tollivers and JOIN sons and
Turner's Will lind their occupation gone A new
population, brought In by the industries which
the railroads Will develop and serve, Will subdue
and change the old. 4 similar change VIII eventu.
ally be wrought In Southern Missouri, where such
lawleSS organizations as the bald-knobbers have
ruled. Our maps and the current news reports
show that there is in the country a great deal OF
very raw material yet to be cooked on the railroad
gr1diron